Shan Community Handover 23,717 Signatures Opposing Dams On the Salween River To Australian Consultants

The Action for Shan State Rivers, claim that the Australian company, SMEC had turned the villagers against them, “by blatantly promoting the dam in public meetings, downplaying negative impacts, and promising them electricity, even though the dam’s main purpose is to export power to China and Thailand.”

Nang Kham Naung, a Kunhing resident, was reported by Action for Shan State Rivers as saying that, “the Salween River is the lifeblood of millions of ethnic people in Myanmar. It is ours, and must not be sold by Naypyidaw and foreign companies.”

The Action for Shan State Rivers claim that SMEC had been stopped by an ethnic armed group, “despite being authorized by Naypyidaw [the government], SMEC has also been blocked by Wa armed authorities from surveying in their area, highlighting the insecurity of building dams in a conflict zone. The Salween runs through areas contested by numerous ethnic armed groups.”